Editorial: N.J. should consider mandating retests for older drivers

Jay L. Clendenin/Los Angeles Times/MCTPreston Carter, 100, sits in a chair following an accident involving his car and 11 pedestrians, including nine children, in Los Angeles on Wednesday, Aug. 29.

Poor Preston Carter. He accidentally backed up his 1990 powder-blue Cadillac into a group of children leaving a Los Angeles elementary school last week. No one was killed, but several injuries resulted. Carter told police his brakes stuck. The officers theorized he confused the gas pedal and the brake. That could happen to any of us on a bad day, couldn’t it?

Maybe. But it just so happens Carter will turn 101 on Wednesday. His 78-year-old daughter vows he won’t drive again.

No one likes to admit the infirmity that often comes with advancing age. We lap up stories about older Americans who remain vital, reinventing themselves to achieve great things late in life.

The reality, of course, is different for each of us. A 75-year-old can be frail, confused and house-bound, thwarted from engaging in life because of dementia or physical ailments. Another person, the same age, can be energetic, active and sharp as a tack. In fact, the Insurance Institute for Highway Safety found that over the past decade, the involvement of older drivers in fatal crashes has declined sharply — catching by surprise researchers who anticipated an aging society would inevitably lead to a rise in fatal crashes among older motorists.

It hasn’t happened, in part because older people are generally healthier than previous generations were at the same late stage of life. Also, the older drivers tend to self-limit, staying off the roads at night or opting for local streets, not highways.

That’s why it can be tough to come up with one-size-fits-all rules for older drivers. Adult children often are the best line of defense, the first to observe changes in a parent’s ability to see, hear or process information quickly. AARP lists a number of signs that it’s time to limit or stop driving, including frequent “close calls,” getting lost in familiar locations, misjudging gaps in traffic, especially at intersections and highway ramps, and multiple warnings or traffic tickets.

But taking the car keys away from an elderly parent is no easy task.

One thing that can help: a state law requiring retesting for older drivers. New Jersey has no requirement specifically for older drivers, but it should be considered. California requires all drivers, beginning at age 70, to pass a vision and written test every five years. It didn’t stop Preston Carter, of course, but it may well have prevented many other accidents.

And it can serve as a red flag for older drivers debating about how much longer they can stay behind the wheel.